Parents want to welcome their babies into a safe nest that is in all ways secure. The baby’s health is one important factor parents wish for the best. It is why the trend of stem cell Newborn Stem Cell Preservation is on the rise.

If you are a parent considering saving your baby’s cord blood, you must have heard about Newborn Stem Cell Preservation already. While some encourage the practice, some individuals do not see its importance.

As you move ahead in this post, you will gain clarity about stem cell preservation and be able to make a perfect decision.

What are stem cells by the way?

Stem cells are collected from the cord blood while the baby is born. Doctors collect them in the delivery room before they proceed with cutting and clamping the umbilical cord.

Also called hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), these cells are effective in treating serious disorders such as thalassemia, backbone issues, and even cancer.

Another potent source of stem cells is the bone marrow. However, extracting stem cells from bone marrow can be a painful process. Besides, the stem cells so retrieved cannot be preserved for long like the cord blood.

Collection of cord blood is a simpler process that takes ten minutes without extra inconvenience to both the mother and the baby.

There are two options to preserve cord blood: private cord blood banks and public cord blood banks.

• Public cord blood banks use the pooled cord blood samples for public use.

• Private cord blood banks strictly use the cord blood for the owner’s family.

Now that we realize the importance of cord blood, let’s discuss this tricky question:

Should I opt for Newborn Stem Cell Preservation? Yes or No?

Here we weigh the pros and cons of cord blood storage to help you make a more effective decision. Let’s look at it in detail.

Pros of stem cell extraction

Coming with numerous benefits, cord blood extraction and storage helps in many ways:

• Painless process: Compared to collecting the cells from bone marrow, it is painless to extract and preserve stem cells from cord blood.

• Tried and tested method: Millions of parents across the globe have opted for newborn stem cell preservation as a safety measure for their baby’s health.

• Privacy: When you opt for an affordable $19.99 cord blood bank, you can be assured of privacy that your baby’s cord blood is used only for your family’s purpose.

• Security: Cord blood contains stem cells that can transform into any sort of cell in the body. Thus, to cure life-threatening diseases like Thalassemia, stem cells extracted from the cord blood help immensely.

• Long life: One key advantage of storing stem cells is their lifetime. When preserved under cryogenic conditions, cord blood lasts 15-20 years effectively.

• Most-suited: Since cord blood is taken from the umbilical cord while birth, it has minimal chances of rejection when used for treatments at the later stages in life. On the other hand, the chances of rejection of donor cells are huge.

Cons of stem cell extraction

Despite its pros, some individuals and doctors suggest against the procedure. A close look at the pros helps understand why they say so.

• Costly: The charge of stem cell extraction and storage can be a costly affair provided the technology and expertise it demands. But if you choose a quality $19.99 cord blood bank

• Rarely put in use: Doctors stress that the chances of using cord cells for an individual are rarer. They weigh the cost of preserving the cord cells to the usage and discourage the practice.

• Inadequate: Stem cells in the cord blood might be helpful for children. However, as the number of cells in the cord blood might fall if stored inappropriately, the number of cells might not be adequate for adults. At such times, doctors pool the matching cord blood from donors or utilize the bone marrow extracted from the family members.

• Unhelpful scenarios: Stem cells extracted from a mother-baby with a family history of genetic diseases cannot help cure the baby of the same if they occur in the future. Since the genetic makeup will be the same in the stem cells, they are ineffective in fighting such hereditary conditions.

Conclusion

Stem cell preservation can be a personal choice for parents. Discuss with your family doctor and clarify your queries at the trusted stem cell bank before deciding on your baby’s stem cell preservation.